Plastic lamp socket with latched insert

ABSTRACT

A socket has a housing and a locked insert molded of plastic material and constructed to have insertable terminals engaging contacts in the insert with a ground of unique construction. When a socket has a single or multiple filament bulb mounted therein and supported in a metal panel or receptacle which is grounded, a terminal is in contact therewith when supported in the socket in position to contact the side of the bulb base and form a ground therefor. When the socket falls from the panel or receptacle, the ground is broken and the circuit is open to the bulb. An open grounding strip may be closed when the socket is inserted in a panel or receptacle which deflects a metal strip to produce the completion of a circuit which is broken when the socket falls from or is otherwise removed from the panel or receptacle. The insert for the socket supports the contacts engaged by the bulb and has locking fingers which secure the insert in oriented position within the socket.

United States Patent [191 Moore [4 1 Apr. 16, 1974 PLASTIC LAMP SOCKET WITH LATCHED INSERT [52] US. Cl 339/14 R, 339/125 L, 339/176 L,

339/206 L, 339/217 S [51] Int. Cl H0lr 3/06 [58] Field of Search..... 339/14 R, 14 P, 14 L, 91 L, 339/94, 97 L, 99 L, 108 L, 59 L, 127 R, 127

C, 125 L, 119 L, 176 L, 177 L, 188 L, 191 L,

217 S, 206 R, 206 L, 207, 208, 209

11/1969 Germany 339/176 L Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Assistant Examiner-Robert A. l-lafer Attorney, Agent, or Firml-larness, Dickey & Pierce [5 7] ABSTRACT A socket has a housing and a locked insert molded of plastic material and constructed to have insertable terminals engaging contacts in the insert with a ground of unique construction. When a socket has a single or multiple filament bulb mounted therein and supported in a metal panel or receptacle which is grounded, a terminal is in contact therewith when supported in the socket in position to contact the side of the bulb base and form a ground therefor. When the socket falls from the panel or receptacle, the ground is broken and the circuit is open to the bulb. An open grounding strip may be closed when the socket is inserted in a panel or receptacle which deflects a metal strip to produce the completion of a circuit which is broken when the socket falls from or is otherwise removed from the panel or receptacle. The insert for the socket supports the contacts engaged by the bulb and has locking fingets which secure theinsert in oriented position within the socket.

9 Claims, 24 Drawing Figures I PATENTEDAPR 16 i974 3L805l21'l PATENTEDAPR \s 1914 saw MIF e PLASTIC LAMP SOCKET WITH LATCHED INSERT RELATED APPLICATION Reference may be had to the allowed application to F. C. Schmidt et al., Ser. No. 47,722, filed June 19, 1970, for Snap-In Bulb Socket and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to a plastic socket having an outer housing and an inner insert, the latterhaving locking fingers which secure the insert in oriented fixed relation within the socket housing. Contacts for a lamp bulb, which may be a one or two filament type, and a ground contact are supported within the insert preferably by being snapped therein and locked against removal. The contacts are so positioned as to be engaged by a blade on a terminal inserted from the opposite side and interlocked with the contact against removal. In other words, the contacts are locked within the insert, the blades on the terminals are locked therein through the engagement with the contacts and the insert is retained within the socket housing by the locking fingers. The housing has an extending annular flexible flange above which a plurality of webs are positioned. The webs have a bottom sloping face which permits the socket housing to be inserted in a notched aperture in a panelor receptacle and turned to be locked therein. Preferably, a sealing washer is mounted on the flange beneath the extending webs to seal the socket to the panel or receptacle. The socket is further unique in having the ground contact engaged with the grounded metal of a panel or a receptacle or the circuit thereto completed by an element which is deflected when the socket is supported in a panel or a receptacle, the circuit being broken when the socket is removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a sectional view of a socket having a plastic body with a plastic insert therein containing contacts engagable by lamp bulb terminals; 7

FIG. 2 is a broken end view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, as viewed from the point 2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 3-3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the socket illustrated in FIG. 7, taken on the line 4-4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, as viewed from the point 5 thereof;

FIG. 6 is a broken, sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 5, taken on the line 66 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, as viewed from the point 7 thereof;

FIG. 8 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 7, taken on the line 8-8 thereof;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 5, taken on the line 99 thereof;

FIG. 10 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 8, showing a further form of the invention;

FIG. 1 l is a view of the structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 4, showing a further form which the invention may assume;

FIG. 12 is an end view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 11', as viewed from the point 12 thereof;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 11, as viewed from the point 13 thereof;

FIG. 14 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 11, showing another form which the invention may assume;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 14, taken on the line 1515 thereof;

FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 are views of a ground conductor in a socket through which a circuit is established when the socket is installed on a panel or in a receptacle;

FIGS. 19, 20 and 21 are views of an elongated grounding conductor having a point of interruption, the circuit through which is completed when the socket is installed in a panel or a receptacle, and

FIGS. 22, 23 and 24 are views of a socket having a ground conductor which becomes grounded whensupported in a metal panel or receptacle which is grounded.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A socket 10 is employed for supporting a light bulb when the socket is secured within an aperture of a panel or receptacle. The socket 10 has a body 11 which is made of plastic and an insert 12 also of plastic supports contacts 13 and 14 with which the terminals of the lamp bulb engage when a two-filament bulb is employed. The contacts 13 and 14 pass through apertures 15 in the insert 12 and have the ends of the conducting portions 16 engaged in theshouldered recess 17. The insert has a pair of diametrically disposed fingers 18, as illustrated in FIG. 9, containing a projection 19 that extends within apertures 21 in the body 11. The fingers prevent the insert from being withdrawn after moved forwardly until the projections 19 of the fingers 18 engages the apertures. Terminals 22 on the ends of conductors 23 have contact blades 24 which are advanced in the apertures 15 into engagement with the conducting portions 16 of the contacts 14. Locking projections 25 of the insert extend into an aperture 26 in each of the terminal blades 24. A ground contact 27 for the side of thebulb base is engaged by a blade 24 of a grounded terminal 28 having a conductor 23 secured thereto. In this arrangement, an inward projection 29 extends within the aperture 26 of the blade to prevent it from being withdrawn.

A similar socket 31 is illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, having a body 32 of plastic material and a plastic insert 33 disposed therewithin. The insert is secured within the body by one or more resilient fingers 18 having a projection 19 which extends within an aperture 21 in the body. A pair of fingers 18 are diametrically disposed and prevent the insert from being removed after being disposed within the body. In this arrangement, contacts 34 for engaging the terminals of the bulb have extending U-shaped end portions 35 which project into apertures 36 through the insert. The end section 37 has a struck-out tongue 38 which locks the portions 35 within the aperture 36 against removal. The free end 39 has a deflected tongue 41 which extends into the aperture 26 in the blade 24 of the terminals 22 when advanced into the insert 33. The body 11 of the socket 10 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 has a flexible angularly disposed annular flange 42 thereabout which is sealed to the panel or receptacle by a resilient washer 43.

A similar flange 44 is provided on the body 32 of the socket 31, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, having a sealing ring portion 45 at the edge with which the sealing washer 43 engages when the socket is mounted on a panel or receptacle. A ring type of bead 46 about the underface of the flange reinforces the flange. The body 32 has anchoring webs 47, 48 and 49 which mate with notches in an aperture in a panel or receptacle as the body 32 is inserted therein. The webs draw the flange 44 against the washer 43 as the sloping inner faces 51 of the webs ride up over the edge of the notches and compress the washer and anchor the socket in sealed relation to the panel or receptacle. A projecting nib 52 enters a depression in the panel or receptacle wall for releasably securing the socket thereto. As illustrated in FIGS. and 6, the nib 52 has a cutout section 53 about a portion thereof permitting the nib to deflect under a predetermined pressure. When a sealing washer 43 is used, a locking tab 50 illustrated in FIG. 12 instead of the nib 52 will be employed to secure the socket to the panel or receptacle. In FIG. 8, a ground contact 54 is illustrated having an extending portion 55 which is similar to the portions 35 of FIG. 4 having a locking tongue 38 which prevents it from moving forwardly and a tongue 41 which extends into the aperture 26 of a blade 24 on a terminal 22. In FIG. 9, the finger 18 is shown in section having the projecting portion 19 extending into an aperture 21 of the body 32. It will be further noted that the web 49 is of greater length than the webs 47 and 48 which are of equal length. The longer web 49 passes through a longer notch of the aperture and the socket is mounted in a predetermined position to thereby orient the bulb filament in the panel or receptacle.

A further type of socket is illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 15, that wherein a socket 56 has a body 57 and an insert 58. The insert is provided with the diametrically disposed locking fingers 18 which retain the insert within the body. Contacts 59 and 61 for a two-filament bulb have boxlike ends 62 which extend within apertures 63 through the insert. The outer portion of the boxlike end 62 has a tongue 64 struck therefrom and extended outwardly thereof which prevents the withdrawal of the contacts 59 and 61. A U-shaped end 65 extends from the end of the boxlike end 62 bending backward to have a tongue 60 extend within the boxlike ends. The tongues 60 extend into the apertures 26 of the blades 24 of the terminals 22. It will be noted that in all of the embodiments, a partition 66 extends between the two contacts 59 and 61 to prevent them from moving into engagement.

As illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, the ground contact 67 has a body portion 68 and an extension 69 and is formed to have a deflectable lever 71 located adjacent to the annular flange 44 in position to engage the panel or receptacle. The terminal 22 has a blade 24 secured within the insert 58 in spaced relation to the extension 69. When the socket is moved into the aperture of the panel or receptacle, the lever 71 is deflected causing the extension 69 to engage the blade 24 and complete the circuit to the ground contact 67. It will be noted that oppositely disposed J -slots 72 are provided in the lamp supporting end of the socket with the base terminals thereof engagable with the contacts 59 and 61. A substantial advantage is embodied in this type of socket since when it falls or is removed from the panel or receptacle, the circuit to the lamp bulb will be interrupted by the broken ground body portion and assurance is had that no fire will be started by the highly heated lamp. The lamp bulb contacts 59 and 61 extend into the insert of FIG. 14 having terminals 60 on the ends connected to conductors 23, the terminals and the ends of the conductors being molded in the insert.

The idea of the broken ground terminal is extended in the sockets illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 24 inclusive. The socket 74 of FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 is of the same form as that illustrated and described above and, in addition, has a ground conductor 74 connected to a conductor 75. The upper end of the conductor 74 has a finger 76 cut therefrom which is deflectable against the side 77 of the base of the lamp bulb 78. This deflection occurs when the socket is mounted in an aperture 79 of a panel 81. Since the ground is through the conductors 75, it makes no difference whether the panel 81 is grounded metal or constructed of insulating material.

In FIGS. 19 to 21 inclusive, a similar socket 82 is illustrated having a longer body 83 which has a ground conductor 84 provided with an extending end 85 and an actuating lever 86. When the socket is mounted within an aperture 79 of a panel 81, the lever is deflected downwardly moving the extension 85 against a conductor 87 which has a grounded conductor 75 attached thereto.

A further form of socket 88 is illustrated in FIGS. 22, 23 and 24 wherein the socket has a ground conductor 89 provided with an offset end 91 which engages the panel 81 when the socket is inserted in the aperture 79 thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 23, the offset end 91 is deflected downwardly moving a tongue 92 inwardly against the wall 77 of a light bulb 78 to complete a ground either from the grounded panel or receptacle or by completing a circuit to the grounded conductor 89. In any of the structures illustrated and described in relation to the FIGS. 16 to 24 inclusive, the hazard of tire is eliminated by breaking the ground circuit to the bulb base to prevent the lamp from being lighted and thereby avoid high heat which could start a fire.

In FIG. 10, similar structure is illustrated that wherein a ground conductor 94 projects within the lamp base recess 95 and passes outwardly through an aperture or a slot 96 at the end of the body 57. The outwardly extending end 97 abuts the web 48 and is urged into engagement with the outer surface of the panel or receptacle when the socket is mounted thereon. When the panel or receptacle is grounded, a finger 98 in engagement with the sidewall of the lamp bulb completes a grounded circuit therewith. Should the socket accidentally fall from the aperture or be otherwise removed, the filament of the bulb can no longer be energized since the ground connection to the bulb is broken.

I claim:

1. In a light bulb socket, a hollow body of plastic material having a bulb receiving end aligned with an insert receiving end, an insert movable to within said body from the insert receiving end which is also made of plastic material, contacts carried by said insert within said bulb receiving end, a ground contact within said bulb receiving end extending to the outside of the socket, supporting means on the body for securing the socket to a grounded panel or receptacle, and means associated with the ground contact or the outside of the body for engaging the metal of the panel or receptacle when mounted thereon, whereby separation of the socket from the panel or receptacle will separate the ground connection to the socket.

2. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 1, wherein the panel or receptacle is grounded for grounding the ground contact to the bulb when the socket is installed in the panel or receptacle.

3. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 1, wherein a deflectable finger is provided on the ground contact in position to engage the panel or receptacle when the socket is installed thereon for moving the deflectable finger to complete the ground contact circuit to the bulb.

4. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground contact extending to the outside of the socket is a deflectable finger, movable when the socket is installed on the grounded panel or receptacle to engage and complete the ground circuit to the lamp bulb.

5. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 4, wherein a flexible flange is provided outwardly of the body with a plurality of webs extending outwardly thereabov'e for entering notches at the edge of an aperture in a panel and for drawing the flexible flange toward the panel or receptacle when the socket is rotated.

6. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 5, wherein a projecting nib on the flange engages a recess on the panel or receptacle for releasably locking the socket in rotated secured position.

7. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 6, wherein the projecting nib is partially severed from the flange to permit the nib to more readily deflect.

8. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 7, wherein the contacts are made of spring strip material formed to engage the insert in a manner to prevent the removal thereof and to engage the blade of a terminal to prevent its withdrawal.

9. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 6, wherein a locking tab associated with the flange engages a recess on the panel or receptacle for releasably locking the socket in rotated secured position when the washer is employed for sealing the flange thereto. 

1. In a light bulb socket, a hollow body of plastic material having a bulb receiving end aligned with an insert receiving end, an insert movable to within said body from the insert receiving end which is also made of plastic material, contacts carried by said insert within said bulb receiving end, a ground contact within said bulb receiving end extending to the outside of the socket, supporting means on the body for securing the socket to a grounded panel or receptacle, and means associated with the ground contact or the outside of the body for engaging the metal of the panel or receptacle when mounted thereon, whereby separation of the socket from the panel or receptacle will separate the ground connection to the socket.
 2. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 1, wherein the panel or receptacle is grounded for grounding the ground contact to the bulb when the socket is installed in the panel or receptacle.
 3. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 1, wherein a deflectable finger is provided on the ground contact in position to engage the panel or receptacle when the socket is installed thereon for moving the deflectable finger to complete the ground contact circuit to the bulb.
 4. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground contact extending to the outside of the socket is a deflectable finger, movable when the socket is iNstalled on the grounded panel or receptacle to engage and complete the ground circuit to the lamp bulb.
 5. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 4, wherein a flexible flange is provided outwardly of the body with a plurality of webs extending outwardly thereabove for entering notches at the edge of an aperture in a panel and for drawing the flexible flange toward the panel or receptacle when the socket is rotated.
 6. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 5, wherein a projecting nib on the flange engages a recess on the panel or receptacle for releasably locking the socket in rotated secured position.
 7. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 6, wherein the projecting nib is partially severed from the flange to permit the nib to more readily deflect.
 8. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 7, wherein the contacts are made of spring strip material formed to engage the insert in a manner to prevent the removal thereof and to engage the blade of a terminal to prevent its withdrawal.
 9. In a light bulb socket as recited in claim 6, wherein a locking tab associated with the flange engages a recess on the panel or receptacle for releasably locking the socket in rotated secured position when the washer is employed for sealing the flange thereto. 